Bat-Mite
History Earth-One In the Earth-One universe Bat-Mite was an imp similar to Mr. Mxyzptlk. He appeared as a small childlike man in an ill-fitting Batman costume, with a black lightning bolt instead of the Bat-insignia. Bat-Mite possessed near-infinite magical powers and came from another dimension, much like Mr. Mxyzptlk. In Bat-Mite's dimension, the resident imps idolize the heroes of the Batman's dimension and impersonated them, re-enacting their heroic feats and adventures. Bat-Mite's favorite hero was Batman, and thus the imp visited Batman on various occasions, often setting up strange events so that he could see his hero in action. Despite this, Bat-Mite was more of a nuisance than a supervillain, and often left his hero alone when he realized he had angered his idol again. In his first recorded appearance, Bat-Mite comes to Earth to watch his idol Batman in action and uses his magical powers to try and help make Batman and Robin's crime fighting more spectacular. This proves to be more of a hindererance than an aid Batman demands that Bat-Mite capture the crooks. After the imp does so, Batman tells him to go away, and Bat-Mite complies but promises to return again some day[1]. Bat-Mite would return sometime later and cause trouble but not only for Batman and Robin, but for the newly established Batwoman. Feeling bad for causing so much trouble, Bat-Mite would help Batman, Batwoman, and Robin capture the Hobby Robber and his gang, even saving the three heroes and earning their appreciation for a short time[2]. When Bat-Mite next returned to the Earth dimension he would seek to become Batwoman's sidekick. She would agree under the promise that he would behave. Bat-Mite would be a competent side kick until a kiss from Batwoman would make the imp fall in love with her. Seeking to make Batwoman a better super-hero than Batman, Bat-Mite would attempt to make Batman look bad. However after Ace the Bat-Hound would help capture crooks that Bat-Mite would escape he would earn the ire of Batman, Robin and Batwoman and flee back to his home dimension to avoid trouble[3]. When Bat-Mite would next appear on Earth, it would be during a time when Batman and Robin were working with Superman to stop a group of crooks using a robot suit to commit their crimes. Not wishing Superman to upstage his hero, Bat-Mite would get in their way until the Dynamic Duo capture the crooks. When Mr. Mxyzptlk would arrive to cause Superman grief, Bat-Mite would match his powers against the imp from the 5th Dimension until the frustrated Mxyzptlk would return home. Despite this, Batman, Robin and Superman would be upset at Bat-Mite for the reckless use of his powers and he would flee back to his home dimension[4]. Seeking to challenge Batman with a new villain, Bat-Mite would use his powers to create the evil Mr. X, not revealing the truth behind the foe or his involvement until Batman would successfully defeat the foe[5]. After coming at odds with Batman and Robin again, Bat-Mite would be tricked by criminal Willy Wild to join his gang, until Batman and Robin made him realize how they were exploiting his abilities and helps the Dynamic Duo capture them[6]. Later when Bat-Girl's advances are rejected by Robin during a period when the two junior crime fighters are left alone to defend Gotham City, Bat-Mite offers his aid to help her win Robin over. Their plan backfires when Bat-Girl is captured, forcing Bat-Mite to admit his involvement and help free Bat-Girl before returning to his home dimension once more[7]. Interfering once more with a case being handled by Batman, Robin and Superman leads to another clash between Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk, their battle causes their magics to combine to create menaces that neither imp can stop until the three heroes defeat them. Bat-Mite and Mxyzptlk flee the scene before they can be scolded by the heroes[8]. In another attempt to make Batman's adventures more exciting, Bat-Mite would conspire to endow Batman and Robin as well as some crook who captured a magician to get magical powers until Batman would learn the truth and make the imp restore them to normal[9]. Another similar episode begins when Bat-Mite endows crooks fleeing Batman with circus abilities before being knocked out and losing his abilities temporarily. Ultimately, Bat-Mite regains his powers and reverses the abilities he gave to the crooks[10]. In another misguided attempt to help Batman and Robin out, Bat-Mite endows Ace, the Bat-Hound with super-powers until a twist of fate makes the Bat-Hound obedient to criminals until Bat-Mite reverses his spells effect[11]. When Bat-Mite causes Batman grief trying to capture crooks at a baseball game, he tells Bat-Mite to find another hero to pester. Taking Batman's words to heart, Bat-Mite attempts three different times to create his own heroes. The first two were bunglers, the third was a criminal that exploited his powers for criminal purposes until Bat-Mite would help Batman defeat him[12]. Bat-Mite would later make a bet with Mr. Mxyzptlk that Batman and Superman couldn't deduce their involvement if they were to disguise themselves. With Bat-Mite becoming "Speed Kid" and Mxyzptlk would become "Force Boy", until Batman, Robin and Superman would figure out their deception[13]. In a seemingly uncharacteristic move, Bat-Mite aids Mr. Mxyzptlk in capturing Batgirl and Supergirl and posing as them to completely defeat Superman and Batman. However the two heroes eventually expose the two imps thanks in part to the return of their female counterparts[14]. In his last recorded adventure in the Earth-One universe, Bat-Mite traveled to New York to petition the publishers at DC Comics to give him his own story in a comic book, after years of being left forgotten[15]. Post-Crisis Like many of the characters that interacted with Batman of the Earth-One universe, Bat-Mite was seemingly erased from existence following Crisis on Infinite Earths. His origins and possible existence in the Post-Crisis universe prior to Infinite Crisis and other subsequent reality altering events have left any existence of Bat-Mite questionable at best. The first recorded "appearance" of Bat-Mite in the Post-Crisis universe per-se came from the ramblings of Bob Overdog, a drug addled murderer who was imprisoned in Arkham Asylum. Overdog would claim that all the people he himself had murdered were in reality killed by Bat-Mite who had come from a dimension where his people worshiped the super-heroes of Earth. Batman would dismiss Overdog's ramblings as hallucinations brought on by his drug abuse[16]. This theory would gain more credibility when Overdog would hallucinate an alternate version of the Knightfall event with Bat-Mite taking the role of Batman and Overdog himself playing the part of Jean-Paul Valley[17]. Inspired by Overdog's rantings, Mr. Mxyzpltk would use his powers to bring Bob's hallucination to life. The two would wager to see who was better Superman or Batman. When both heroes would get out of a fun-house trap at the same time a frustraited Mxyzptlk would call off the bet and return home[18]. Bat-Mite would later be absorbed by the Joker who would use his powers against Superman, Batman and Mr. Mxyzptlk. However a blast from the Phantom Zone projector would free him[19]. New Earth When Batman, through the manipulations of Simon Hunt and Professor Milo began operating as the "Zur-En-Arrh" Batman, a sort-of Batman without Bruce Wayne personality, he would begin seeing hallucinations of Bat-Mite in his mind. This Bat-Mite was supposedly Batman's rational, which would attempt to prevent Zur-En-Arrh from going too far. Things are further confused with the fact that Bat-Mite has also claimed to be from the 5th Dimension, as the 5th Dimension is a realm of imagination[20]. The true nature and full origins of the Post-Crisis and New Earth versions of Bat-Mite remain unrevealed at this present time. Powers and Abilities Powers Wide variety of magical powers, including the ability to turn invisible, levitate, animate inamite objects, and grant superpowers to others. Bat mite can shoot lightning from his hands. Category:Heroes